System of non-interchangeable contact parts.



No. 664,046. Patented' Dec. I8, |900.

, n. HuNnHAusEN. SYSTEM 0F NON-INTERCHANGEABLE 00NTACT PARTS.

(Application 1ed Nov.4, 1899.1

(No Model.)

WWU z' y -wfzessf A im@ @y @@MMZX UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF HUNDHAUSEN, OF WILMERSDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR vTO THE SIEMENS da HALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF NON-INTERCHANGEABLE CONTACT PARTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,046, dated December 18, 1900.

Application tiled November 4, 1899. Serial No. 735,762. (No model.) A

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, RUDOLF HUNDHAUSEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Wilmersdorf, near Berlin, Germany,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systems of Non-Interchangeable Contact Parts, (Case No. 251,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and eX- act description, reference being had to the 1o accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a system of noninterchangeable contact parts, and has for its object the provision of improved means for i 5 preventing the improper establishment of connection between the terminals of an electric circuit.

More particularly, my said invention aims to prevent the insertion in a given terminal socket of a fuse, lamp, or other translating device or plug for supplying circuit to 'other translating devices the capacity of which is greater than that designed for the socket.

In many instances it is highly desirable to z 5 secure electrical apparatus wherein the translating devices or other conducting parts of various capacities are not interchangeable. The necessity for such apparatus is at once apparent when it is considered that in electrical practice certain portions of the apparatus are used and controlled by those who are unskilled in the art or are desirous of using translating devices of greater capacity than those for which the proposed circuit considered is designed. It has heretofore been proposed to provide devices for accomplishing these results; and my invention herein consists in a specific improvement of mechanism designed for the purpose named.

In accordance with my present invention I provide upon the plugs and sockets of the system slots and lugs, the plugs and sockets to be used in supplying translating devices of larger capacity having the engaging recesses and lugs or pins of larger size, and the plugs and sockets to supply translating devices of smaller capacity having the engaging slots and pins thereof of smaller size, whereby it would be impossible to insert t-he 5o plug of the translating device of larger capacity into the socket designed to be associated with a translating device of smaller capacity. It is to be understood that each slot is provided upon one of the engaging parts,

as the socket, and that the corresponding lug is provided upon the other engaging part, as the plug.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodi- 6o ment thereof and show the use of the invention as applied to incandescent electric lighting.

In the drawings, Figure l shows an incandescent lamp and its associated socket, the lamp and socket being separated. Fig. 2 shows alamp of larger capacity or greater candle-power and its associated socket, the two being separated. Fig. 3 shows the lamp and its socket illustrated in Fig. l assembled. 7o Fig. 4 shows the lamp and socket illustrated in Fig. 2 assembled.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different figures.

While I have shown incandescent lamps as being the precise devices through which current is supplied and by which the current is utilized, it is obvious that other translating devices and conducting means may be employed.

The plug a, of the conducting means or translating deviceshown in Figs. l and 3 is mechanically ixed with relation to the translating device; but it is to be understood that this relative mechanical disposition of the translating device and plugs is not essential.

The lamp or translating device b, having the smaller capacity, is provided with a projecting lug c of small size, and the socket d, into which the plug is to be inserted, is provided 9o with a slot of a corresponding size, into which the lug or pin c must be inserted in order that the plug d shall enter the socket. Each of the sockets shown contains any suitable form of terminals ff, adapted for contact with terminals g g, carried upon the plugs. The terminals ff are preferably movable longitudinallyin hollow guides fm m, a spring or springs n serving to exert an upward force thereon, thereby securely holding the pins c 7a in their loo respective slots. The translating device 7L being'of larger capacity, I provide the plug t' thereof with a lug 7c, which is larger than the lug c, and also provide the sockets into which lthe said plugs may be inserted with slots Z of a size corresponding to the lugs 7s, the lugs having to be inserted within the said slots in order to permit of the insertion of the plugs in the sockets to complete the connection of the translating device with the supply-conductor.

It will be observed that the lugs c and k project transversely or laterally from the plugs and that the slots e and Z are disposed at the mouths of the sockets and extend longitudinally thereof.

While I have shown the sockets as being provided with the slots and the plugs as being provided with the pins or lugs, it is obvious that this arrangement might be varied without departing from the spirit of the invenuon.

The slots e and Z in the sockets are preferablyprovided with lateral extensions to form bayonet-catches, as shown, whereby the pins after being inserted within the slots may also serve to secure the engagement between the plugs and the sockets.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a system of non-interchangeable electrical contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of engaging elements in the form of sockets, of a second plurality of engaging elements in the form of plugs, laterally-projecting pins of different sizes provided upon one set of the engaging elements, and slots or recesses of different sizes provided upon the other engaging elements, whereby circuit connections may be established and the improper insertion of connecting-plugs prevented, substantially as described.

2. In a system of non-interchangeable electrical contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of engaging elements in the form of sockets, of a second plurality of en'- gaging elements in the form of plugs, laterally-projecting pins of different sizes provided upon one set of the engaging e'lements, and longitudinally-disposed slots orrecesses of dilerent sizes provided upon the other engagi ng elements, whereby circuit connections may be established and the improper insertion of connecting-plugs prevented, substantially as described.

3. In a system of non-interchangeable contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of contact-plugs provided with laterally-extending pins or lugs of diierent sizes, of a plurality of sockets provided with slots or recesses of different sizes, whereby circuit connections may be established and improper insertions of the plugs within the sockets prevented, substantially as described.

4. In a system of non-interchangeable contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of contact-plugs provided with laterally-extending pins or lugs of different sizes, of a plurality of sockets provided with slots or recesses of different sizes, the slots extending longitudinally of the sockets, whereby circuit connections may be established and improper insertions of the plugs wit-hin the sockets prevented, substantially as described.

5. In a system of non-interchangeable contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of contact-plugs provided with laterally-extending pins or lugs of dilferent sizes, of a plurality of sockets provided with bayonet slots or recesses of different sizes, the said bayonet-slots serving to prevent improper insertions of the plugs and coacting with the pins to secure the engagement between the plugs and sockets, substantially as described.

6. In a system of non-interchangeable contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of contact-plugs provided with laterally-extending pins or lugs of different sizes, of a plurality of sockets provided with bayonet slots or recesses of different sizes, the slots extendlng longitudinally of the sockets, the said bayonet-slots serving to prevent improper insertions of the plugs and coacting with the pins to secure the engagement between the plugs and sockets, substantially as described.

7. In a system of non-interchangeable contact appliances, the combination with a plurality of contact-plugs provided with pins or lugs of different sizes, of a plurality of sockets provided with bayonet slots or recesses of different sizes, the said bayonet-slots serving to prevent improper insertions of the plugs and coacting with the pins to secure the engagement between the plugs and sockets, substantially as described.

8. In asystem of non-interchangeable electrical contact appliances, the combination with a plurality ot engaging elements in the form of sockets, of a second plurality of engaging elements in the form of plugs, laterally-projecting pins of different sizes provided upon one set of the engaging elements, longitudinally-disposed slots or recesses of different sizes provided upon the other engaging elements, whereby circuit connections may be established and the improper insertion of connecting-plugs prevented, the terminals upon the plugs being adapted for engagement with terminals f, f, in the sockets, and springs n in engagement with the terminals f, f, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of October, A. D. 1899.

RUDOLF HUNDHAUSEN.

Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

IOC

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